Atonement Day is finally here
by Astoria00
Summary: (I didn't kill your boss, girl.) She hadn't and yet…she had felt remorse. For Roman. For Neo. For not having been able to look for her after the Fall of Beacon. But it didn't matter anymore. Nothing did. [Just a Little spin off story for Spicecreamweek, following the events of Fractured]
1. Atonement Day is finally here

This was everything she had ever wanted.

The chaos, the mindless brutally of how humans tended to trample over one another to get themselves to safety first.

How they were broken down to reveal their true selfish nature.

The power to invoke these feelings in them, to destroy everything they held dear…

And yet…it felt almost hollow.

The icy wind blew sharply in her face, carrying with it a distinct smell of fresh snow and ashes.

Forcefully moving one foot in front of the other, Cinder stumbled through the burning ruins, ignoring the screaming citizens around her.

At long last Atlas had fallen, crashed, like the egocentric monopoly of power that it regarded itself to be.

Driven into Mantle, leaving only a pile of ruins and blood in its wake.

This was her victory…her ticket to be welcomed back home with open arms, so why…

'_Why do I feel like this?'_

Cinder wanted, no, needed to get back to Salem and yet her feet carried her away from the Beringel searching for her.

What was wrong with her?

It was her only option.

Her master was the only one who hadn't betrayed her. To the contrary, she had given the dark haired girl so much and promised even more.

This was the only mother figure she had ever had…

The cold air stung in her eye, causing it to tear up once more, the salty fluid burning down her skin, joining the dried streak on her cheek.

Pressing her right hand even harder against her stomach, she tried to even her breathing.

Her being wounded added to the stupidity of not returning to Salem immediately.

She didn't have a death wish!

She wanted to live!

Cinder was endangering herself and for what?

_I know I messed up, but you have to know-_

What had Emerald wanted to tell her?

Not that it mattered anymore.

Her subordinates had betrayed her.

Neo had betrayed her.

She had been so stupid to actually let her guard down around her, to trust that they actually had an…understanding.

Two mismatched, sorrowful eyes flashed through her mind, the horrible pain erupting from her back to her stomach. The easiness by which she had been chased off.

Of course Neo had never abandoned her quest on killing her.

It had been ludicrous to think after Atlas it could go back to how things were in Haven and Beacon.

Cinder had known the smaller girl was different from Emerald and Mercury.

There was no blind reverence.

Neo had been…her equal in a sense.

Not beating around the bush when she didn't agree with her decisions.

And if she was honest to herself, it had been quite refreshing.

Why had it all gone so wrong?

_I didn't kill your boss, girl._

She hadn't and yet…she had felt remorse.

For Roman.

For Neo.

For not having been able to look for her after the Fall of Beacon.

But it didn't matter anymore.

Nothing did.

A loud screech startled Cinder, as she whirled around as good as she could, staring right into the terrifying eyes of a huge winged Beringel.

Instinctively she wanted to back away, but she appeared to be frozen in place.

'_Everything is fine._

_It's not going to attack me.'_

The grimm cocked its head at her, reaching for her frame with its giant paw.

The burning intensity of its inhuman, crimson, hollow eyes made her hair stand on end.

This was nothing like the grimm she had encountered before. Even the Wyvern had felt different…more approachable.

Forming bonds with them had never been too difficult, but this one was nothing more than an empty husk.

Roughly, she was grabbed by the Beringel, a short, painful gasp escaping Cinder's lips as it pressed almost harshly against her wound.

'_This is fine!_

_It's just bringing me home…to Salem.'_

Of course.

She had been foolish to go against Salem's will.

_Remember Firefly, your desires can only be found through me._

Despite knowing that Cinder had still tried to outsmart her, only to be reminded that there was no bending the rules with Salem.

She had played a game she could have never won.

Squeezing her eye shut, she tried to surrender to her fate, only to rip it open once she heard a horrifying shriek, followed by a deep growl.

Something had cut clean through the Beringel's wrist, its paw loosing the iron grip it had on Cinder, making it possible for her to slip through its fingers.

Landing unceremoniously on her butt, a slight moan managed to tear itself from her throat, as the impact rocked through her body, unsettling her wound even further.

Her head began to spin and she had to squint hard as to not black out from the burning pain erupting in her back, as it spread through her whole torso.

Everything happened so fast.

The dark haired girl wasn't even able to catch her breath, when she was abruptly dragged to her feet and pulled into niche.

Her eye had trouble to focus on its new surroundings.

A loud roar pierced her ears and her left arm twitched violently.

It was as if something tried to force itself inside her head.

_[Stop defying me!]_

Cinder's breath hitched, her hands pressing against her ears in desperation, her left one digging painfully in her scalp to make the voice stop.

Someone shook her wildly, but she couldn't respond or react in any kind.

Out of desperation she felt her aura flaring up, trying to shove whatever pulled at her, only to hear a sudden shattering noise, as if something had just broken a window, splintering it to million pieces.

Then…everything went quiet.

Cinder's pain ebbed away slightly, helping her to finally spot the person responsible for her _rescue._

Her eye widening in disbelief.

"Neo?"

And just like that her remaining power was spent, even as she fought violently to keep her eye open.

Dropping to her knees, Cinder fell forward, her senses dwindling, only dimly realizing that someone stopped her fall…before everything went dark.

xxxxxxxxxx

Cinder didn't know how long she had been out.

When she came to she seemed to be underground, only the dim flames of the candles spend some warmth and light.

There was a strange pounding in her head, but at the very least her back and stomach felt slightly more agreeable.

Shifting on her apparently self made mattress, she realized that there was a bandage around her midsection and right shoulder. Granted, it was stitched together out of different clothing items. But it had put enough pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding completely.

Letting her eye wander over the sparse room, she could spot her top lying neatly folded atop a broken table.

Slowly she rose on unsteady feet and wobbled more than she walked to her belongings, cautiously putting the rest of her clothes back on.

Her cloak was missing oddly enough, but Cinder had other things to worry about.

She probably lost it when the Beringel caught her earlier…depending on when earlier was.

But first things first.

She had to disappear before-

Just in that moment the door behind her creaked open, revealing the short frame of her _savior,_ causing Cinder to stumble backwards involuntary.

So it hadn't been a dream.

It really had been Neo who saved her.

The only question was…

"Why?"

'_Why am I not dead yet?'_

Not that Cinder wanted to die…but it just didn't make any sense for the short girl to not finish her off when she had the chance.

Neo stared at her seemingly at a loss herself, a troubled look crossing her features.

She made some sort of silly motion with her hands, before rolling her eyes, searching for her scroll.

Come to think of it, Neo had used that from time to time to talk to certain people on their way to Atlas, hadn't she?

What was it called again?

…sign language?

Either way, it wasn't one the dark haired girl understood.

Having found her scroll Neo began to type out her answer, presenting it to Cinder.

/I don't know./

'_Seriously?!'_

Sighing loudly, she rubbed her temples to alleviate the building pressure there.

Annoyance bubbled in the pit of her stomach, as she did her best to appear as imposing as she could, stemming her right hand into her hip.

Her glare following the shorter girl, who hopped on the broken table, making herself comfortable.

"First you stab me and then you just, what?

Changed your mind?"

She couldn't help but let a very dry, sarcastic edge slip into her tone.

If Cinder wanted anything right now it was answers.

Neo shrugged, letting her feet dangle over the edge of the table, trying to be as nonchalant as possible, to bridge over the time it took her to reply.

/You didn't kill Roman./

The text on the screen stared at the dark haired girl almost tauntingly, adding to the layer of anger building up inside her.

"I didn-

That's what I've been telling you the whole time!

It was little Re-"

As soon as Cinder had started talking Neo vigorously typed as well, holding her scroll under the taller girl's nose to interrupt her, while not moving one inch from her position.

A perfect illusion.

As much as the taller girl hated to admit it, that semblance was definitely one of the more impressive one's out there.

/Ruby didn't kill him either.

It was my fault. I just…didn't want to see it./

'…_huh?'_

"What are you talking about, you-"

/If I had been there, he wouldn't have died!/

That's what this was about?

Taking Roman's fate on herself now?

Ridiculous!

Rolling her eye she took a step closer to the smaller girl, who still sat on the broken table, her face falling more and more.

Was she expecting Cinder to just forget how she almost killed her?

From behind her back no less?

"So why blame me then?", she asked pleasantly, her voice evening to a softer tone,

"Payback for hiring your boss?"

She had seen Salem use these tactics before and as far as Cinder knew they always worked…even on her.

Her master was truly the epitome of power.

Oh how foolish she had been indeed.

This time Neo took even more time to reply, visibly struggling to find the right words.

/…no…I just don't want to be alone again…/

_Your punishment is to toil in your isolation, Cinder._

_Only completely alone can you truly grow._

No!

This was not the same.

She had overcome this weakness of hers.

She didn't need anyone!

'_Then why was I being punished with it again?'_

Cinder felt a sense of helplessness wash over her.

Oh how she hated this dreaded feeling.

Catching Neo's concerned and oh so expecting look, the dark haired girl smirked.

"So you _saved _me for yourself?", she asked with a mix of faux surprise and false gentleness,

Isn't that just touching?"

Tightening the grip around her scroll, Neo jumped from the table, her parasol running along the stony floor, tossing the electric device at the taller girl.

Reflexively, Cinder caught it, narrowing her eye to read what the now angry girl had written her this time.

/Stop trying to make me sound like I'm in the wrong here.

I'm not one of your cronies!/

'_True…you're not one of them…'_

But this was exactly why it hurt so much.

Why she tried to cause Neo as much pain as she could.

…because they had been equal.

They had…

'_A relationship?'_

…something!

Still, it was so easy to fall back on her anger.

So familiar.

"You STABBED me!

Excuse me that I don't particularly care whether you like my tone or not."

Cinder's headache increased.

She just wanted to be done with this.

She needed to get back to Salem, before her victory became hollow in regards to her lapse of judgment.

The smaller girl had backed away slightly at her outburst, anger giving way to sorrow, as she began to let her hands run through different motions.

Feeling her rage dwindling, Cinder rolled her eye once more, her tone losing the vicious edge it had held before.

"I can't understand this signing language you love to do.

Either spit it out or get out of my way!"

Staring at the dark haired girl in disbelief, she lowered her eyes at the scroll still in Cinder's hand and back again in the hopes of getting it back.

She didn't know why she caved and dropped the communication device in Neo's outstretched hand, but something compelled Cinder to do it.

Maybe it was the same feeling that wouldn't let her return home.

This horrible sense of foreboding…or these strange powers she couldn't control.

Either way she wanted to _hear _what Neo had to say…as strange as that sounded.

The smaller girl offered her a weak smile, before writing just two short words on her scroll.

/I'm sorry./

"You're…sorry…"

'…_why?'_

Wasn't Cinder supposed to apologize?

Was that not what Neo was after?

An apology?

_Apologies have no worth if you don't mean them._

_Do you really regret what you did, girl?_

'_I don't!'_

She didn't regret Beacon, she didn't regret anything…but Neo's sorrowful eyes made her wish so badly things had gone differently.

Was that…how it felt like?

To regret?

How could Neo apologize when she didn't?

Sinking down on the table Neo had sit before her, she tried desperately to sort through her emotions.

"I destroyed it…I destroyed Atlas.

I don't know how, but I did…"

'_I hated every second of it!'_

"I don't want to go back home!"

'_I don't want to drown again!'_

She didn't know whether she said any of it out loud, until she felt a soft tab on her shoulder.

Neo gave her a hesitant smile, handing Cinder her cape back.

So it hadn't been lost after all.

Taking it with a quick nod, she unfolded it, her brow rising when she spotted a crumbled…card?

Glancing at Neo out of the corner of her eye she caught the expectant look on her face, appearing almost…nervous?

Cinder turned the card in her hand and froze.

It was one of Roman's _business _cards. And right under the giant logo was something written, in this so awfully scratched mess that Torchwick had called his handwriting. Something that had taken the dark haired girl so much time to decipher back then.

/Wanna run away together?/

Run…

Away…

'_Together?'_

Raising her head in shock, Cinder looked utterly dumbfounded.

This was a horrible idea.

Neo had already betrayed her once, she could never be too sure if she wouldn't do it again.

There was her quest for power.

…there was Salem…

Nothing good would come of this, so why…

Why did it make her so…happy?

It had been the same when the short girl had given her the apology.

It felt good…but also twisted something inside her stomach.

"I…

'_I'm sorry I left you all alone.'_

But she couldn't get the words out.

…not yet.

The realization hit her like a brick.

'_I don't want to be alone as well!'_

She erupted in laughter.

Cinder couldn't remember the last time she had laughed so freely.

If both of them didn't want to be alone in this world, why not stick together?

Salem wouldn't be pleased, she would get into so much trouble…and she couldn't care less.

Fastening her cloak around her neck she stood up, offering Neo a grateful smile, who returned it just as eagerly, lending Cinder her shoulder to help her walk outside.

Whatever conflicting feelings she had regarding the other girl, she would sort this out on her own terms.

This was what she wanted.

"You know, Neo, I am glad you came back for me."

'_Thank you for rescuing me!'_

* * *

**AN: Hello again ^^**

**Kinda felt inspired today, so I took one of my other oneshots, Fractures, as a basis**

**and wrote a spin off scenario for Spicecreamweek.**

**I hope it qualifies for an entry, never did this before ^^'**


	2. A Sun seeks Day

_Get out of my way freak!_

'_I wasn't anywhere near you!'_

_It's your fault the deal fell flat._

'_They didn't even know about me!'_

_I never wanted a kid in the first place._

'_Would it make a difference if I was born 'normal'?_

Neo hated waking up from that accursed dream.

Since Roman's death it constantly plagued her. Her peace of mind seemingly lost forever by his sudden demise…and she only had herself to blame.

If she hadn't taken Ruby lightly, if she had stayed on top of the ship, she could have stopped her dear friend's cruel fate.

But she had thought they would be alright…just like always.

There was no way they were in any real danger.

They chose the winning side…

And now Roman was gone forever.

It boggled her how thinking about him still hurt so much.

Time healed all wounds?

What a joke.

Stretching her tense legs a bit, she shivered at the cold creeping up her feet.

This was the last time she let Cinder chose where they would spend the night.

The cave might have been a more…low profile friendly option, but Neo was tired of freezing all the time.

'_Don't have those fancy powers keeping me warm.'_

The short girl had always had some sort of inkling that their new _partner _was a bit more special than she had let on, but the existence of actual magic just seemed so far removed from reality…and yet she had witnessed it with her very own eyes.

Years before Cinder had graced them with her presence.

_Now you listen to me you stupid brat! _

_You better not come back before you apologize for whatever you did to the Branwen tribe, you hear me?_

Shuffling her feet, Neo pulled them to her knees while sitting up, her mismatched eyes blinking through the darkness.

Cinder and her had build some sort of provisional shelter to keep the snow outside and giving them an opportunity to rest…though she couldn't be too sure if the dark haired girl had actually gotten herself some shut eye.

Speaking of which, where was her sassy companion anyway?

Grimacing at failing to locate her missing attire, she hobbled to the exit winding her thick blanket even tighter around her body.

'_Of course she's outside.'_

Cinder seemed to have trouble to let her guard down enough to sufficiently rest.

It was something Neo observed when they had traveled to Atlas together.

There was some nervous, tense energy around her. One that felt all too familiar to the shorter girl.

A cold shudder ran down her spine, as she pulled the spare blanket they had put up along the entrance to the side and padded outside.

'_COLD!'_

So maybe running through the snow barefoot hadn't been such a great idea after all.

But on the other hand, she also had no real motivation to turn back around to get her shoes.

Exhaling loudly, she let her eyes wander over the scenery in her attempt to spot Cinder.

Which appeared not to be as time consuming as she thought.

The dark haired girl hadn't strayed too far from their _secret hideout_, lying in a puddle of fresh snow, staring up into the dark, cloudy sky, watching the snowflakes fall.

There was something strangely serene about the picture.

Neo couldn't help but look at her companion in silent wonder.

She had never seen Cinder so…relaxed…no, that wasn't the right word.

'_Vulnerable!'_

That's it.

She had never seen her so vulnerable, so raw and open before.

Maybe it was the dim light surrounding them, as the moon was obscured by thick dark clouds, but the short girl couldn't help but acknowledge how beautiful the other girl actually was.

Even if it was somewhat begrudgingly.

After pondering whether to leave or stay, Neo sat down next to Cinder.

The snow was freezing, even with the blanket around her whole body.

Shivers ran done her spine, as she tried to huddle closer to her companion, finally seeming to get her attention.

"What the-?

Do you have a death wish, girl?

What are you doing out here?"

_What is a small girl like you doing in a place like this?_

_xxxxxxxxxx_

_The tall boy mustered her with keen interest, his bowler looking oh so funny on his reddish hair._

_She must have gotten lost on her way to the Branwen tribe's current location after all, because that definitely wasn't how she had envisioned a bandit to look like._

_Before she could even try to explain herself though, a red, long and more importantly sharp sword was held to her head, pointing directly to a point between her eyes._

_Its owner's face was hidden behind a…grimm mask of sorts?_

_Only two crimson orbs glowed dangerously through the two small slits, positioned perfectly over the other person's eyes._

_She swallowed harshly._

_This wasn't good, right?_

_She should have never sneaked inside this tent!_

'_I don't want to die!'_

"_Now, now Raven._

_Your loyalty and commitment to my safety are honorable, but surely you don't believe me to be threatened by a mere child, do you?"_

_Behind the masked girl appeared an older, even more imposing woman, a fur coat hanging around her shoulders, carrying the proud emblem of a lone feather._

'_The leader!'_

_Now this was bad._

_On one hand she found the leader, on the other…_

"_My apologies, ma'am."_

_The sword disappeared from her view and relief washed over her, to be immediately replaced by another wave of anxious tension by the masked girl's next words._

"_Shall I deal with this brat?"_

_She didn't like the sound of that. _

_And if she was being honest, she also didn't want to find out how the bandit wanted to 'deal' with her._

_Not daring to move one inch, she stared at the leader in fear._

"_She's just a kid, I'd say we have more pressing topics to talk about than deciding the fate of a poor streetrat._

_Just let her go."_

_Finally the bowler wearing boy had spoken up, tipping against his hat with a grin._

_The leader sighed, when Raven immediately whipped around, almost growling at him._

"_**I**__ am second in command! _

_You don't give me orders!"_

_The redhead's grin widened, when he pulled out some keychain, causing the masked girl's posture to get rigid._

"_I don't know about that, Robin._

_Maybe you're getting soft."_

_He dangled the chain in front of her, revealing a photo of four young people, all smiling in the camera. One looked oddly similar to the masked girl, she thought._

_Not that she cared._

_She just wanted to get out of this alive._

_Before Raven could retort anything, the leader stepped forward, banging her hand against the table with a loud, thud, splintering the wood and causing both of the other bandits to snap to attention._

"_ENOUGH!"_

_Fixing the masked girl with a pointed stare, she ripped the keychain out of the bowler wearing boy's hand, her voice lowering dangerously._

"_We will talk about this at a later time, do you understand, Raven?"_

_Nodding wordlessly, Raven didn't make a sound. Just her clenched fists indicated how furious she must have been right now._

"_Good, and Roman", her attention now solely laid on the redhead, "the answer is no!_

_I will not approve of segregation!_

_We are bandits, not organized crime lords."_

"_But think about-"_

"_Not another word!_

_I gave you a home when nobody wanted you. I taught you everything you know._

_Without me, you would be nothing._

_Is that the extent of your gratefulness?"_

_The boy lowered his head and it was in that moment that she decided to bolt._

_Running and crawling as fast as she could back into the air ventilation system, only managing to catch the muffled cry of what she presumed to be Raven and the cold voice of her leader._

"_Let her go._

_I won't waste resources on catching a little brat that is of no use to us._

_She hasn't heard anything that could do us harm."_

_And still…she couldn't stop running._

_Tears streamed down her face, as she realized just how narrowly she escaped death._

_A death her father had gladly sent her to…_

'_Oh no!'_

_Her father!_

…_he wouldn't be pleased when she reported that she hadn't been able to change the Branwen tribe's mind after all._

_The cold evening wind that greeted her once she finally submerged to the surface again made her want to huddle down._

_It was so cold…_

_She was so tired…_

_She stopped completely and leaned against the wall, searching for a place to rest a bit._

_Hobbling into an alleyway she ducked next to a trash container to shield herself from the freezing breeze._

_She didn't know how long she stayed there, only that she couldn't seem to stop crying._

'_Mommy…why did you leave me?'_

_Because she was a freak._

_Wasn't that what her father told her all the time?_

_No one wanted a mute child._

"_Well, hello there Neopolitan._

_You look practically frozen."_

_Startled she looked up, her eyes widening in shock._

_It was Roman, the bowler wearing bandit._

_She had expected dread to settle in again, but surprisingly she wasn't as afraid as she thought she would be._

_The redhead only smiled, offering his hand to her, almost as if he knew who she was…_

_But that couldn't be true…right?_

"_Let's get you home and warm you up."_

_xxxxxxxxxx_

"-warm you up?"

'_Huh?'_

Neo blinked owlishly at the person now perched at her side.

Cinder seemed to have sat up, squinting at her incredulously.

She must have missed the question.

Cocking her head, she shrugged clueless, causing the dark haired girl to sigh exasperated.

"I asked if you want me to warm you up."

Just as she was reminded of it, the cold returned full front, making her shiver noticeably under her blanket, offering a small nod to Cinder, who rolled her eye and simply held out her hand for Neo to grab on.

A pang of sadness washed over her.

There were times when missing Roman was bearable…and then there were times she wished she could scream her pain out to the world.

When she wanted to find someone she could blame it on.

Cinder had been on the receiving end of it as well.

Her feelings for her companion were a jumbled mess.

She hated Cinder!

And the worst was, the dark haired girl hadn't even known why until recently.

Obsessing over getting her revenge on her had kept her going.

It had been the only thing driving her…

'_Roman's dead and you left me!'_

And yet…

Warmth spread through her hand as it entwined itself with Cinder's.

…she couldn't help but want to keep being around her.

There was this admiration she had for the other girl.

The way her face would light up for the most ridiculous thing she deemed useful to her.

Her cunningness, her over the top attempts to sound like a crime lord…

…her golden like, gorgeous eye…

'…_huh?'_

Where did that come from?

Giving Cinder a grateful smile she wrote in the snow before them.

/Do you ever sleep?/

The dark haired girl's expression soured, her voice changing, adapting the short girl's favorite uppity tone.

"I don't need sleep.

I am perfectly capable of reserving my energy."

Something cracked behind them in the distance, possibly a tree submitting to the heavy snow piled on top of it, but whatever it was, it made Cinder flinch noticeably.

'…_are you afraid?'_

That would probably be a bad thing to ask, though she doubted Cinder would ever be able to find some rest like this, seeing how high on alert she appeared to be.

It was time to change the game.

/Read me a story./

Her companion positively gaped at her.

"Excuse me…what?"

Pointing at the snow again the short girl wrote it out even more carefully, skillfully hiding her gleeful smile.

/READ ME A STORY!/

Cinder appeared at a loss for words, she was positively rattled.

It seemed to cost her immense willpower not to react to the fact that Neo had practically ordered her to do it, as she breathed in deeply.

Finding her voice again, she tried to compose herself.

"If you hadn't noticed, we are right out of books."

'_You don't say.'_

The short girl shrugged.

/Guess you have to make one up then./

Not even waiting for Cinder's response Neo lied down on the snow, staring up at the dark sky, just as her companion had done before her.

Befuddled Cinder stared at her, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment, as she realized Neo would probably continue to bug her to comply with her wish…

The shorter girl's grip on her hand tightened a bit when she tried to pull her hand away.

Neo wouldn't let her get out of this.

With a silent curse, Cinder surrendered and rolled on her back, glaring at the clouds.

"Do I really have to?"

A quick squeeze was the only affirmation she got.

Clicking her tongue in annoyance, the dark haired girl began to search for words.

"Fine…

Ahem, once upon a time there was…a dragon.

He was strong and feared…and powerful.

One day he encountered a little girl who was shackled by a cruel fate and he saw the potential inside her, so he took her with him…"

'_You have a nice voice.'_

She really meant it. It was incredibly pleasant to listen to. So much so, that Neo had to be careful not fall asleep.

Not yet at least.

So she listened to the tale her companion spun, full of monsters and magic, thieves and wizards and, most importantly, dragons.

The sky began to tint its colors, chasing the endless dark of the night away as it slowly began to dawn…and Cinder's voice abruptly stopped.

Turning her head she saw that the dark haired girl's eye was closed, her breathing even and slow.

'_Finally!'_

It had been so hard to not simply drift off, but now that she had managed to get Cinder her much needed rest, she felt herself fade away as well.

Robbing closer to her companion's sleeping form she cuddled against her.

Yes, Cinder would probably never allow them being this close to each other after she stabbed her, but Neo couldn't stand the thought to wake up alone and cold again.

'_Good night, Cinder.'_

In hindsight, it probably had been a bad idea to fall asleep outside of their camp.

* * *

**AN: Hello again ^^**

**Time for Day Two I guess…I'm probably not finishing until Spicecreamweek is **

**Over, but I'll still do all the prompts.**

**Enjoy ^^**


	3. We'll find our Way

Snow was a nuisance.

Even if it didn't really pose a threat to her temperature wise, it had become a hazard to travel through…especially because she had to hold Neo's hand oh so often while outside.

It was embarrassing, it was mortifying and…it messed with her head.

She avoided physical contact where she could, but this…this didn't feel so bad.

Similar to how she had caught the short girl fast asleep, curled up against her side that one day.

Which she probably would never admit.

…not that there even was a reason to do that.

She was just stressed.

Unsurprisingly, keeping in mind just who was definitely going to come after her sooner or later, but fortunately they hadn't run into any grimm under her control yet.

…which would change as soon as Salem gave them the order to capture her.

Sighing softly she inspected her surroundings.

Trees, snow and even more trees as far as one could see.

Neo trailed behind her, visibly strained from the overuse of her aura lately.

It tended to make Cinder nervous.

There was only so much backstabbing she was willing to endure.

Traveling by foot was far more demanding and slow than she had anticipated.

They had passed Argus only a few days ago, the whole city in utter uproar at the news of Atlas destruction, rumors of war whirring around.

Cinder knew their options where to…run to were quite limited, with Beacon overrun by grimm and Vacuo being the next big target on Salem's list, so it seemed Mistral was the safest place for them right now.

'_Ugh.'_

She wished they wouldn't need to return to that blasted kingdom.

Not for the first time Cinder cursed herself for failing the attack on Haven.

To see it burned to the ground, just like…

_What have you done?!_

_You will regret this, Cinderella!_

Clenching her hands into fists, she ripped herself from these disturbing thoughts.

It wouldn't do her any good.

Not when they needed to focus on finding another shelter for the night.

It was then that Neo caught up to her, pointing excitedly to a point farther ahead.

Following her line of sight Cinder managed to make out the blurry schemes of a building.

"Good job, Neo", she praised the shorter girl, while internally calculating how long it would take to get there.

Since losing her eye her depth perception was pretty much gone and she had to draw everything from experience and muscle memory…or in this case, Neo's vision.

Neo grinned at her, as she went for her right hand.

'_Ah…'_

That could only mean her companion was almost out of aura.

Oh well…she guessed she had to get used to this from now on.

Entwining her hand with Neo's they both tracked through the snow.

It took them maybe half an hour to reach the gate leading to the land's property…half an hour too long of holding hands, while running through the wilderness in Cinder's opinion.

Not that she complained…

…and that was exactly what was bothering her.

Her almost nonchalant reaction to being touched by Neo.

Coming to a halt in front of a wooden post that read: _Brunswick Farms, _the dark haired girl squinted at the half destroyed main building with suspicion.

This looked like a small village of sorts…or at least a small community, so…where was everybody?

Aside from the central house, everything else looked to be in pristine condition…just…abandoned.

Neo however didn't seem to care too much about this strange occurrence, instead she simply stared in disbelief at the wooden plate.

'…_interesting.'_

Cinder would file that away for later.

Right now they needed to find out if this…ghost town was a good enough shelter for the night.

Tugging lightly on Neo's hand she got them moving again, her eye always trailing back to the burnt out main building at the center.

What could have happened here?

…and more importantly, when?

The dark haired girl had the distinct feeling that the fire wasn't what drove all these farmers out of their homes.

There was this…soft tingling along her spine…something that felt awfully familiar for some reason.

But maybe she was just getting paranoid.

In the end she let Neo pick the house they would be staying in.

Her complaints about Cinder's inability to choose _comfy _shelters, as she put it, just got too annoying after a while.

An incredible feat for someone who couldn't articulate herself at all.

'_Let's see if you can do it better.'_

Neo could be certain, if anything bizarre happened tonight she wouldn't let her live it down.

Following the short girl into one of the spacious houses she had the distinct feeling she was being watched, but it disappeared as soon as she turned around, peering through the falling snow.

Nothing…

She really needed to rest her head a bit, or else she would go crazy and hallucinate apparently.

Inside the house it was just as eerily silent as outside.

Not that Cinder was afraid of ghosts or anything like that, but something wasn't right here, she just knew it and Neo seemed to share her opinion in that regard, as they both searched the building for any sign or clue to the whereabouts of the owners.

It was better to be safe than sorry.

And yet…it didn't feel any more reassuring once they found them…dead in their bedrooms.

Cinder had seen her fair share of corpses in her life, but the couple laying under the blankets creeped her out. There was this…familiar icy fire inside her, running through her veins the longer she looked at them.

As if…they just fell asleep and died…

The expression on their faces quite like…

'_Drowning!'_

Enough!

Turning around hastily, she made her way back downstairs sitting in front of the chimney.

It didn't take Neo long to follow her.

The dark haired girl bit her lip in frustration when she spotted concern flash through her companion's eyes.

Muttering a silent curse under her breath she raised her right hand and jumpstarted a fire inside the dusty old fireplace.

Hopefully that would keep the shorter girl distracted from asking too many questions right now.

She didn't feel too comfortable talking about…that day.

To be honest, she wanted to forget it ever happened.

The warmth of the flames chased the cold away, causing it to recede back into the depths of her soul, as the tension left her body.

Neo plopped down next to her on the carpet, visibly enjoying the heat radiating from the chimney, peering at her cautiously before giving her a beaming smile.

She held out both her hands, letting them assume some…curious looking shape, while regaining her grin.

Cinder sighed defeated.

How many times did she have to remind her partner that she couldn't understand her weird hand talk?

"Listen, Neo, I don't…"

She trailed off, after the short girl motioned for her to turn around and face the wall across from the fireplace.

Perplexed, she followed her instructions…although begrudgingly, and found herself staring at a big shadowy wolf.

"What the-?"

Her eye shifted back to Neo, who grinned at her even wider, wiggling her fingers.

Cinder shook her head in disbelief, her tone full of annoyance.

"Very funny."

The short girl looked at her almost innocently, searching for her scroll in her bag.

/You never played with shadows before?/

_Now Cinder, let's play a game._

_It's called hide and seek._

The maiden couldn't help the cold shudder that ran down her spine.

This definitely wasn't the time to recall her carefree childhood days.

"No, _playing _hasn't been on my mind for a long time now."

Seemingly on instinct, Neo raised her hands again, before realizing it wouldn't yield any satisfying results.

Staring at her palms in frustration her face fell.

After some deliberation she grabbed her scroll and typed:

/Would you want to learn it?/, looking at her expectantly.

'…_huh?'_

Cinder felt heat rushing to her face.

Did she look like a child who wanted to fool around?

"…what of my last sentence implied that I want to learn your shadow game?"

The short girl rolled her eyes.

/Not that, sign language./

'_Oh!'_

To be honest…Cinder had already contemplated taking up that strange language. Not only would it make communicating with Neo easier, but also give them an advantage for sneaking around…their enemies she supposed…or maybe the townsfolk they would come across soon.

"Yes…I suppose that could become useful."

The short girl's expression lit up. Apparently the prospect of teaching her this concept of communication delighted her to no end.

Sighing softly, the maiden crossed her legs on the carpet and tried to replicate one of the strange motions she had seen Neo do before with her right hand, eliciting a few silent giggles from her companion.

/It's easier if you use both hands./

Reaching forward, she corrected Cinder's sign, one of her hands grasping the maiden's left one…before she pulled it back immediately with an uncomfortable look on her face. The dark haired girl cocked her head to the side questioningly before her eye settled on her left arm.

'…_oh…'_

Right, her grimm arm.

Of course Neo wouldn't be comfortable to touch it.

_You turned yourself into a monster just for power._

Cinder gritted her teeth.

Why did this lowlife bandit's words still bother her so much?

She was accepting of who she was.

That's why she had even chosen this outfit.

To make a statement!

Her arm was a part of her and she was not ashamed to show it off.

She stood up, gazing at the warm fireplace with something akin to longing, before addressing her companion, her voice calm despite the turmoil she could feel building up inside her.

"Let's reschedule our little learning session and call it a day.

One of us needs to recharge her batteries after all if we want to reach the next village tomorrow."

She didn't bother checking on Neo before she left the room and wandered upstairs into one of the more empty ones, making herself a little make shift shelter next to the bed, using all the blankets she had packed in her luggage. There was no way she would lie down on that mattress.

Who knows what had been going on in that community to drive them all out?

Lying down onto her blankets she stared at the dark ceiling and tried to give her head some needed rest, only the pale moonlight falling through the window illuminating the room.

The shadows dancing in front of her eye reminded her of her first night in _Evernight Castle_…back when she had been a scared, little girl so in need of a place to call _home._

_Can I stay with you for tonight?_

_Come here._

_There is no need to be scared of the dark, Firefly._

That's right…the darkness wasn't as dangerous as people loved to paint it as.

She felt a pang of sadness wash over her when she recalled the time Salem personally had tucked her in…just like the mother she never had and yet…her affection had always felt…

'_Conditional!'_

Cinder knew, as soon as she started to perform under expectations, Salem would withdraw her _love, _if one wanted to call it that.

Sighing in resignation she couldn't stop the yawn that escaped her, alerting her once again to how tired she actually was.

The maiden closed her eye.

Thinking about these things wouldn't result into anything useful.

With that she began to drift away into an uneasy sleep.

xxxxxxxxxx

She couldn't say what woke her up, only that it was cold… no, it was literally freezing!

And yet she couldn't seem to move.

Cinder's head felt so heavy, her eyelid too hard to open.

'_Wh…what's…going…on?'_

Even her thoughts were so hard to focus on, so incredibly slow that it took all her efforts to stay in the here and now and not slip away to sleep again.

And why would she when it was so cold?

That's when she heard it!

An almost inaudible heavy moan right next to her head that send a cold shudder down her spine.

Fear and shock ripped Cinder from her stupor, forcing her to open her eye and blink through the darkness…

Only to be met with a black skeleton like hand, its sharp nails mere millimeters away from her skin!

'_APATHY!'_

With a strangled yelp the maiden blew the grimm away, throwing a blast of unsteady fire in its face, as she scrambled to her feet in a hurry.

Running outside the room she cursed herself.

Of course this was the work of Apathy grimm.

Why hadn't she bothered to check the other houses?

She should have known immediately that something wasn't quite right about this farm's state.

'_Neo!'_

Gods, Neo was still inside this building and if she knew anything about the Apathy it was that they were never acting by themselves.

And that meant the rest of the pack was probably here as well.

At the very least she hadn't heard the short girl scream-

'_Shit!'_

Almost flying down the stairs, she bumped into yet a dozen more Apathy, their eyes glowing ominously in the dark when they seemed to spot her, blocking her way into the next room.

They were simply everywhere.

Standing in her way, hanging on the ceiling, weirdly entwined on the railing, staring her down, while approaching her slowly.

The deep breathy moans made Cinder's hair stand on end.

She could feel the cold creep up on her once more.

She couldn't risk losing her will to fight right now, or else…

Breathing in deeply, she closed her eye in concentration, before fire burst from it.

The maiden's powers filled her with enough warmth to keep the cold at bay.

Summoning her weapons she tore through the grimm blocking her way downstairs and made a break for it, stumbling into the next room…and froze.

It was as if she just entered a hellish nightmare.

The whole room was crawling with Apathy grimm!

A grotesque blackish void with demonic crimson eyes that tried to bore into her very soul and right in the center of the nest…laid Neo!

'_No!'_

The short girl seemed physically unharmed, nevertheless, the blank stare she gave the ceiling told Cinder exactly in how much danger her companion was in.

She needed to get her out of there, but…she couldn't seem to move forward.

To the contrary, she felt herself backing away, only to find the exit behind her now blocked as well.

Her body felt so incredibly heavy, there was no way she was able to raise her weapons.

'_STOP!'_

All of a sudden the pressure in her body receded slightly, allowing the maiden to think more clearly, just as one of the Apathy moved towards her almost tauntingly.

_(Stay down, girl!_

_The Master wants you unharmed.)_

Cinder's eye widened.

Had she been able to get through to them?

Connecting with grimm was always so…demanding.

A language of weird pictures and emotions that somehow translated into words for her once she succeeded finding the small right link to them.

That wasn't to say that she had a lot of experience at how to control grimm.

_You must make it dread you!_

Cold sweat trickled down her brow, as she concentrated as hard as she could to make the Apathy cover to her will.

'_Let me through!'_

_(No. _

_You are favored by the Master, however SHE is not._

_That one is ours!)_

It was almost ridiculous how easily the voices made their rebuttal, causing Cinder's head to spin.

Frantically she tried to think, to come up with an idea how to salvage this.

She couldn't just leave Neo!

_[…why not?]_

Because…

No, that was right.

She was able to escape.

The Apathy told her as much. They only wanted the short girl, she was free to go.

…but go where?

_[Home!]_

Yes, home…back to Salem…to get the power she was promised…maybe even to learn to control her new one…

It would be so easy…

She even missed her…

…

'_To hell with it!'_

With an unexpected surge of strength, the maiden spun her weapons around, using her maiden powers to create a whirlwind to keep the Apathy in the room at a distance from her as she sprinted to the middle of the room, trying to rouse the apathetic girl on the ground.

"NEO! GET UP!

WE HAVE TO GO!"

The yell seemed to startle the short girl out of her stupor, blinking around almost disoriented, before horror washed over her face once the memories of what must have happened before came back.

Cinder didn't have time for Neo to regain her marbles again and dragged her onto her feet.

Gripping her companion with her right hand, she threw multiple flaming daggers at the surprised Apathy still blocking the exit, before she balled her grimm arm into a fist, blasting through them along with the entrance door.

In hindsight maybe staying in the house would have been preferable.

The maiden had heavily underestimated the Apathy grimm…namely their numbers.

There were so many of them, cowering and weirdly perching and prancing around the rest of the farms. It was hard to even make out the white snow underneath their black, long, inhumanly feet when they slowly circled around them.

Panicked Cinder looked around.

There had to be a way out of this!

But more and more Apathy wavered out of the main building, joining the others around them.

Pulling Neo behind her instinctively, she summoned her weapon again, her grip tightening around the handle when she pointed it at the grimm with her left hand.

_[Yield, Cinder!]_

The maiden automatically straightened her back.

That voice…

Her eye widened in disbelief.

No, that couldn't be…and yet her left arm began to twitch subtly, as if trying to head the command she had been given.

Neo pressed herself against Cinder's back, her hands covering her ears.

This time the dark haired girl didn't have the urge to shove her companion away.

Her wound only a faint burning of the past.

The short girl wouldn't try to kill her again and…somehow…Cinder didn't want to save herself if it meant losing her.

'_I…'_

Can't?

Shouldn't?

Mustn't?

'_I won't!'_

For a split second there was silence.

Then the Apathy screamed and Cinder lost the ground under her feet, her face meeting the cold, but soft snow.

She was dimly aware that Neo had fallen behind her as well, but…she didn't care anymore.

What even was the use in fighting?

What did it matter if she was brought home again?

She was just so tired…

Her head felt so heavy…

As her eye finally closed she was calm.

This was totally alright.

Just like it should be.

…

_What's the matter, Cinderella?_

'…_leave me alone…'_

_Your daddy can't save you anymore._

'…_stop it.'_

_Neither can __**he**__._

'_That's not true!'_

_Just give it up already. You will never escape me._

'_**Forget it!'**_

An icy fire erupted inside her, sweeping away the numbness in its wake.

People always wanted to control her!

Wanted to hurt her!

Wanted to force her!

Opening her eye she felt her view shift, her field of vision tinting in a bright gold tone, as the Apathy screamed again.

Nothing…

A cruel smirk spread over Cinder's face, raw power bubbling right underneath her skin, begging to be freed…

And she was so done with listening.

Obeying.

Bowing down.

The maiden rose slowly to her feet, making her way to the Apathy.

_(Why do you struggle so much, child?_

_When the outcome is always going to be the same.)_

She didn't bother to answer it. Instead she raised her hand…and the Apathy evaporated, leaving only black ashes behind.

'_So easy.'_

Why had she ever been afraid to use this marvelous power?

The ashes swirling through the air began to glow in a golden hue, flowing to Cinder's still outstretched hand, getting absorbed as soon as they touched her skin.

A wave of euphoria washed over the maiden, making her head spin from the increase of her energy, as it spiked to yet a higher level.

This was…

'_Astonishing.'_

_[There is more where that came from.]_

Oh right.

Lifting her head she mustered the hundreds of Apathy with something akin to hunger, before feeling herself rise from the ground.

Fire mingling with the cold gold, as she raised both of her arms to the side, a storm raging inside her, spreading outwards.

Just like that the Apathy scattered one after another, black ashes circling around her, growing more potent with each grimm's demise until they swelled on and practically swallowed her whole.

Cinder couldn't see anymore.

Some…unidentifiable noises reached her ear, but she paid it no mind.

It didn't matter.

Only the steady flowing source of power did.

It felt so…

Exciting!

Exhilarating!

'…_overwhelming?'_

Her head spun even more.

This…was too much, wasn't it?

It felt as if something would rip her apart from the inside!

What…how was she supposed to handle so much power?

_[I will teach you.]_

'…_you…will…?'_

_[Yes…but for that you need to come home, Cinder.]_

'…_I...'_

Cinder couldn't concentrate anymore.

She felt like she was going to explode.

_[Now, unleash your power!_

_Show the world your true potential!]_

Of course.

The dark haired girl was the eye of the storm.

It was time to let it run rampage.

Everything finally fell into place…until something…warm enveloped her.

'_Wha…?'_

Puzzled she lowered her gaze and saw a pair of hands hugging her midsection tightly.

Her head cleared a bit.

That's right, she had been traveling with…someone and…

_[Cinder, focus!]_

But…

'_I don't want to.'_

The maiden felt some of that unbearable power ebb away, as the person behind her slowly reached for her hands, tugging them down softly and the storm abruptly stopped as if it never happened in the first place.

Cinder blinked through the now peaceful night, only the pale moon shining down on them, revealing the horrors the storm had left on the farms.

Sinking to her knees in disbelief, she stared at her hands with a sick feeling inside her gut.

She had caused this…but…

'_Not of my own volition.'_

Salem had been able to…entrance her two times!

That realization was more than she could currently bear.

With a strangled shriek she couldn't help but break down in tears.

There was no control.

It had all been a lie…an illusion.

Salem was inside her head.

No one could run from her…and now she knew why.

The short girl dropped next to her, dried tear streaks under her eyes and cheeks, obviously just as shaken by the events as Cinder and entwined their hands…both of them.

She gently squeezed her left one, her thumb running over the black knuckles soothingly, giving her a sad smile, as she wrote into the snow:

/I'm sorry this happened to you./

No, that wasn't right…

'_I'm the one who should…'_

"Neo…", Cinder's voice sounded strangled and hoarse even to her own ears,

"I'm…"

'_I'm sorry!'_

This whole mess was her fault and yet she couldn't seem to apologize.

Nevertheless, Neo's words filled her with something warm…something she couldn't quite describe.

The short girl's eyes softened, a teasing grin stretching over her face, as she tried to help both of them recover from the ordeal they just had.

/I promise, I'll never complain about your camping spots again./

'_Ridiculous.'_

Not that it hindered the maiden's lips to twitch upwards.

This girl was just so unbelievable.

Leaning forward she let her head rest against Neo's shoulder.

"Thank you."

* * *

**AN: Hello again ^^**

**I know it's a bit late, but I had quite a rough few weeks.**

**That being said, I will continue this to the very end.**

**Also for the ones reading Shattered Destiny, I will update very soon.**

**Enjoy ^^**


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